1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of recording audio and/or video information on the record medium, and more particularly to an information recording method wherein recorded audio and/or video information may be protected from being overwritten.
2. Description of Prior Art
Recently, in addition to conventional floppy discs, discs have been employed as recording mediums for recording audio and/or video information. Of the above record media, the optical disc has been recognized as the best recording medium based on its resistance to losses of information caused by a deterioration of sound and picture quality, scratching and the like, as well as easy random access and relatively large storage capacity. On the other hand, the floppy disc has less bulk in comparison with both the audio cassette tape and video cassette tape. These recording media have led to various developments in audio and/or video information recording apparatuses. Such a sound and/or image information recording apparatus includes an audio cassette recorder for driving an audio tape, a video cassette recorder for driving a video tape, a disc driver for driving a floppy disc an optical disc recorder for accessing an optical disc optically, etc.
Because the above-described recording media tends to have a large scale of storage capacity, it became possible to write a number of audio programs or a number of video programs onto the record media. Accordingly, each time desired audio and/or video programs were generated, a user had recorded the programs on a single record medium. Since recording operations were performed in a single record medium several times as mentioned above, valuable video and/or audio information previously recorded on the record medium were frequently lost. This results from a new program being record overwritten on the previously recorded program. Accordingly, users began to want to protect any valuable information or programs previously recorded on the record medium.
For the purpose of protecting the audio and/or video information or program previously recorded on the record medium, mechanical recording prevention tabs are frequently installed in the enclosure of record medium. In fact, the video and audio cassette tapes restrict a recording of video and/or audio information, in accordance with whether there is the recording prevention tab in the cassette or not. In other words, if the recording prevention tab is attached in the recording medium, then the audio and/or video information is recorded on the audio and video cassette tapes; whereas if it is removed from the cassette, then the audio and/or video information is not recorded on the audio and video cassette tapes. Similarly, the floppy disc restricts a recording of information in accordance with a position of the recording prevention tab installed to a caddie or a jacket.
However, the above method which prevents a recording by exploiting the mechanical recording prevention tab, brings about an unnecessary waste in the storage area of recording medium because information is not recorded with reference to the entire storage area of recording medium. Rather, a portion of the storage area of the record medium is generally not utilized when the recording prevention tab is installed. Also, the method of preventing a recording by exploiting the mechanical recording prevention tab has a disadvantage in that, since information unnecessary to a user occupies a portion of the storage area of record medium, the utilization efficiency of the storage area is deteriorated largely.